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Monday, 9 March 2015

Spotlight on a Book Series: Darlene Foster and the Amanda Travel Adventure Series…

I want to thank and welcome wonderful (and
well-traveled) MG author, Darlene Foster for sharing her personal experiences
on writing a book series and showcasing her middle grade adventure series the Amanda Travel Adventure series with us
on my blog today.

BONUS:
One lucky reader will win an Amanda
Travel Adventure ebook of their choice just by leaving a comment! Don’t
forget to leave your contact info for a chance to win, and good luck! So let’s
get this interview rolling…

Where
did you get your idea and inspiration to write the Amanda Travel Adventure series, Darlene?

I was inspired by an amazing trip I took to the
United Arab Emirates. While I was there, I felt as excited as a twelve year
old. I decided it would be a great setting for a children´s book. I created the
character of Amanda, an average girl who wishes for travel and adventure as she
blows out the candles on her twelfth birthday. The next day an airplane ticket
arrives in the mail for her to visit her aunt and uncle who live in the UAE.
What follows is an adventure of a life time. Once Amanda got the travel bug,
she had to see more interesting places. I suppose I created Amanda because as a
child, I wanted to see the world.

Seems
like you made your dreams a reality! How many books are you planning to write
in this middle grade travel adventure series?

I was only going to write three but I keep getting
new ideas. So I guess I will write as many books as there are interesting
places for Amanda to visit. My readers keep asking, “Where will Amanda go
next?” Her adventures are based on my travels. I just don´t get into as much
trouble as she does.

Keep’em
coming, Darlene! What sets the Amanda Travel
Adventuresseries apart from other series in
the same genre?

Amanda considers herself a regular girl leading a
boring life, but tends to get caught up in other people´s problems. She is
braver and more curious than she thinks she is. She also has a good friend,
Leah, who lives in England and is quite different from her. This friendship
evolves in the series. I believe these books provide an opportunity for
children (and adults) to learn about another country while following Amanda and
Leah. I try to include details kids would find interesting and often amusing.
Maybe something they wouldn´t necessarily learn in school. Teachers who have
introduced these books to their classrooms, tell me the children love learning
about the places Amanda visits. It entices them to look up more information
about the sites on the internet.

How
long did it take for you to start and finish each book from the Amanda Travel Adventure series?

The first book took me three years to write but the
last two took about eighteen months. I guess you get faster once you know what
you are doing. (As if you ever really do!)

I
wish I could say the same thing. LOL! What are some of your favorite book
series, Darlene?

Little
Women was one of my favorites too. Loved Jo! Do you have any advice for other
writers striving to write a series?

Get to know your characters well and then have them
evolve. The characters should always learn something new about themselves. Each
book should be able to stand on its own. My books don´t have to be read in
order.

Excellent!
Readers need someone to route for, and watching characters evolve keeps them
begging for more books. What’s next for Darlene Foster the author?

I have a bi-lingual book coming out called Pig on
Trial/Cerdito a juicio. One page will be in English and the other in Spanish.
It is a medieval tale about a young boy who tries to save his pig who is on
trial. I am also working on Amanda on the
Danube-The Sounds of Music

Sounds
like you’ll be one busy author, Darlene! Okay, here’s one for me, since I’m
writing a time travel series—IF you could time travel into Earth’s past, WHO
would you love to meet, and WHY?

I love time travel and your books are great. I would
love to travel back to the time of Jane Austen so I could have a chat with her
about her writing. I would so enjoy listening to her wonderful words and
terrific wit. I love her books and her characters are delightful.

Thank you so much for this opportunity to be a guest
on your blog Sharon!

You’re very welcome, Darlene! And readers please don’t
forget to leave a comment and your contact info for a chance to WIN an Amanda Travel Adventure ebook of your choice! Darlene will draw the
lucky winner at the end of this week! Cheers!

Amanda
Travel Adventure Books:

Amanda in Arabia-The Perfume Flask

Amanda Ross is an
average twelve year old Canadian girl. So what is she doing half way
around the world in the United Arab Emirates? It's her own fault really, she
wished for adventure and travel when she blew out those candles on her last
birthday cake. Little did she know that a whole different world awaited her on
the other side of the globe full of intrigue, mystery and folklore. A world
with a beautiful princess, a dangerous desert and a loyal camel called Ali
Baba. Join Amanda on her first adventure as she discovers the secrets behind
The Perfume Flask.

Amanda in Spain-The Girl in The Painting

Amanda Jane Ross is
certainly becoming a world traveller; she's now in sunny Spain on vacation with
her friend Leah. While there, she encounters a mysterious young girl who looks
eerily like the girl in a famous painting she saw in a Madrid museum. Even
weirder, the girl keeps showing up wherever Amanda finds herself - Madrid, the
remote mountains of rural Spain, the beaches on the Mediterranean Sea, a lively
fiesta and the busy streets of Barcelona. Amanda wants to help this sweet,
young girl and her beloved pony escape the clutches of a mean
horse-dealer. Come with Amanda on her next adventure as she attempts to
unravel the mystery behind the Girl in the Painting while she treks across
Spain - always one step ahead of danger!

Amanda in England-The Missing Novel

Amanda Ross is visiting England and taking in all
the sights. She gets lost in the maze at Hampton Court, does some shopping at
Harrods, meets the ravens in the Tower of London, explores Windsor Castle, and
rides the London Eye. When she discovers a vintage book is missing from a
collection, she is determined to find out who stole it. Amanda befriends a pair
of tough teenagers from the streets of London, an elderly bookshop owner, and a
big, friendly, clever, Maine Coon cat named Rupert. Follow Amanda through
cobblestone streets, medieval castles, and underground tunnels in her quest to
find the missing novel!

Amanda in Alberta-The Writing on the Stone

Amanda is delighted to
show Leah around Alberta during her visit from England. They take in the
Calgary Stampede, go on a cattle drive, visit Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump,
spend time with the dinosaurs at the Royal Tyrrell Museum and explore the crazy
Hoodoos. When Amanda finds a stone with a unique mark on it, she doesn't think
it's important until everyone seems to want it - including a very ornery
cowboy. Is this stone worth ruining Leah's holiday and placing them both in
danger? Spend time with Amanda as she explores her own country while attempting
to decipher the mysterious writing on the stone and keep it from those
determined to take it from her.

Darlene Foster is a writer of
children’s stories, an employment counsellor, an ESL tutor, a wife, mother and
grandmother. She loves travel, reading, shoes, cooking, sewing, music,
chocolate, walking on the beach and making new friends. Her grandson calls her
“super-mega-woman-supreme”. She was brought up on a ranch nearMedicine Hat,Alberta, where she dreamt of traveling
the world and meeting interesting people. Children from seven to seventy enjoy
her Amanda travel adventure series.She
believes everyone is capable of making their dreams come true! Her and her
husband divide their time between the west coast of BC, Canada and the Costa Blanca
in Spain.

I really enjoyed this interview. I read one of your books, Amanda in Spain, and loved it. So, I'm ready for more. As you know, I love books that take place in different countries. Your novels are not only for young adults but for us older (young-at-heart) people. Keep on writing!

have been following Darlene for some time now and have enjoyed hearing about her personal adventures (moving to Spain!) along with her journey as an author. I don't believe children these days get enough cultural enrichment in their social studies classes. These books certainly fill in the gap. I'm also happy to hear that Darlene's books have a bilingual component too. I hope I win one of them!

Happy St. Patrick´s Day!! My husband drew a name out of a hat (well actually a bowl) and the winner of an Amanda ebook is........Susan Gourley/Kelly. Please contact me or Sharon with your email details and which book you would like. I will get a copy to you. Susan, you have the luck of the Irish.

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About Me

Sharon
Ledwith
is the author of the middle-grade/young adult time travel adventure series, THE
LAST TIMEKEEPERS, and the teen psychic mystery series, MYSTERIOUS TALES FROM
FAIRY FALLS. When not writing, researching, or revising, she enjoys reading,
exercising, anything arcane, and an occasional dram of scotch. Sharon lives a
serene, yet busy life in a southern tourist region of Ontario, Canada, with her
hubby, one spoiled yellow Labrador and a moody calico cat.